More than five hundred runners contested the Sussex School’s Year 7 and Year 8 Cross-country championships at Christ’s Hospital on Thursday in firm and dry conditions.
Racing was good in all four races though it was only in the opening race, the Girl’s Year 7 race that there was actually bust up at the finish.
Lois Dooley (Shoreham Academy) had done much of the pacing making with Alice Wright (Hurstpierpoint College) in close attendance but it was Wright, the smaller of the two runners, who had the sprint finish which she used to good effect in the finishing field to take the title by a couple of yards with Eloise Nicholls (Dorothy Stringer) taking a good third place.
Luke Ellard from West Park, who has shown up well in the County U13 League races this season was a clear winner of the Boy’s Y7 race from Brighton College’s Will Carey and Atticus M-D from Lewes Old Grammar.
The first four runners in the Girl’s Y8 race had all competed for the Sussex Schools Junior team in the English School’s Cross Country championships at Blackburn the previous weekend.
It was the turn of Olivia White (St Richards) to come out on top ahead of Olivia Wiseman (Bishop Luffa), Maia Hardman (Lewes O.G) and Niamh Halloren (Steyning).
Ethan Fincham (Angmering) was also in action for Sussex Schools the previous weekend and he proved a clear winner of the Boy’s Y8 race ahead of Joe Smith (Oakmeeds) and the home runner James North from Christ’s Hospital.
Four races and eight gold medals were well spread amongst the competing schools with only Hurstpierpoint College winning two Golds.
Hurst also won the team as well as the individual title in the Y7 race with Windlesham and Christ Hospital taking the second and third team spots.
In the Y7 Boy’s race Cardinal Newman took the team title ahead of Forest and Dorothy Stringer while the Y8 races saw Steyning take the Girl’s title ahead of Cardinal Newman and Bishop Luffa and Patcham the Boy’s race with Bishop Luffa and Dorothy Stringer in second and third places.
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